The way the highest office in Nigeria has been mishandled and demystified is one major reason why anyone thinks they can be president. To be candid, if Nigeria has been properly governed the likes of Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, Fela Durotoye and others would me minding their various businesses and companies. Moghalu said in one of his interview that one of the reason he has decided to contest for the office of the president is because he is tired of what has been happening in the political space. In clear terms, he said he was tired of being a technocrat. The dance of shame that has taken the center stage in our political community is one reason why it has dawned upon them that they can be Nigeria’s President too.
The increasing political consciousness in the country, coupled with the anxiety and frustration of the populace is perhaps the main reason why ordinary Nigerians covet the most exalted public office in the land. The process of deterioration in our nation has taken different shapes since we returned to civilian rule. Everything has gone so bad, far beyond repair.
My father’s Gardener phrased this national dilemma better. He came to me full of excitement… “Francis, I’m thinking of running for the office of the president’. I asked which of the president? Is it the association of gardeners’ president or landlord association? He said ‘No, I mean the president of Nigeria.” I asked politely if he has been drinking. He said, “No, I am a devoted Christian. I don’t drink. I have been thinking about it for a while now. The way these people are running Nigeria is not good. I can do better than Buhari or Atiku. I have good ideas than can help Nigeria. These politicians will finish us if we don’t act fast. If anyone likes this country, they better get involved”. I paid attention to him like a student taking lectures. “Guy, I can do, we can do it. I have already worked it out. I will be the next president.”
I have known our gardener for a while but I never realized he had this kind of big dreams. He didn’t even wait for my response before he said “we can do it”. Most political optimists like this are those who do not stand a chance at the polls. I do not blame him but the thieves who have enriched themselves with our nation’s treasury.
I pretended like I was interested, so he continued… “This country needs someone like a gardener. Nigeria is like a garden. It hasn’t been tended to enough. As a gardener, I can use my expertise to nurture Nigeria and make it grow again.” I almost burst into laughter. I contained it so that it doesn’t look like I am not taking him seriously. The number of these guys keep increasing every day. I have also heard people say the likes of Kanu Nwankwo, Pasuma, Davido, BankyW and others are fit to be Nigeria’s president.
Why won’t everyone think like our gardener? These political gladiators have been milking our treasury dry since independence, recycling themselves in various forms and structures. Recently, someone told me, “All those that milked Nigeria dry in the 16yrs of PDP are supposed to be punished and jailed”. Then I asked him, who then will remain in the present APC. Those two are the two lanes through which Nigeria’s doom has consistently been orchestrated. We have to do something to them.
Nigeria must wake up next month and vote wisely at the presidential elections. Wake up!
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